Apparatus for forming metal articles



May 12, 1942. L O 2,282,588

APPARATUS FOR FORMING METAL ARTICLES I Filed July 22, I939 :5Sheets-Sheet 1 Geae a: #4 acer Lye/v.

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May 12, 1942. G. A; LYON APPARATUS FOR FORMING METAL.ARTICLEB Filed July22, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m Qn E QM \3 mun W Patented May 12, 1942UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR FORMING METAL ARTICLES GeorgeAlbert Lyon, Allenhurst, N. J. Application July 22, 1939, Serial No.285,879

2 Claims. ,(CL113-49) This application is a continuation in part of Uwheel disks permits the more economical manu- T facture of vehiclewheels, since the wheels themselves may be designed solely for strengthand utility without regard to ornamental appearance, the wheel disksbeing employed for this latter purpose. The most popular form of wheeldisk at the present time is a wheel disk having a highly polishedexterior surface. In order to minimize the total cost of the wheelassembly, it is of course, necessary to minimize the cost of the wheeldisk itself as much as possible. The thinner the sheet metal stock is,which is employed to make a wheel disk, the greater the saving is in themanufacturing costs. It has been found that a wheel disk maybeconstructed of a sheet of metal stock having a thickness dimension ofsuch a character that if a single thickness of metal stock is engaged bythe resilient wheel disk fastening elements on the wheel, the metal ofthe disk would be deformed at that point, but which, when presented as adouble thickness of metal formed by a fold, the metal in the disk at thepoint of engagement of the wheel disk fastening element is not deformed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel apparatus forus in the manufacture of metal articles and particularly wheel diskspossessing the above highly desirable characteristics.

It is another object of this invention to provide novel apparatus formanufacturing wheel disks which is extremely economical and whichprovides a resulting product which is rugged and reliabl in use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide novel apparatus formanufacturing wheel disks of the type having an integral foldedfastening flange.

Another and further object ofthis invention is to provide novelapparatus for-forming an axially extending integral folded fasteningflange.

Another and still further object of this invention is to provide novelapparatus for directly forming a double thickness of metal in a sheetmetal article and particularly in a wheel disk to provide a fasteningflange which extends obliquely axially rearwardlyand radially inwardly.'

5 portion of a die press having circular symmetry The novel featureswhich I believe to be characteristic of my invention are set forth withparticularity in the appended claims. My invention-itself, however, bothas to its organization and manner of construction, together with"fur-'ther objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by referenceto the following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings; in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a wheel disk of the type forwhich my novel apparatus is employed in the manufacture thereof;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the wheel disk takenalong the line II-II of Figure 1; v t

Figure 3 shows a pro-formed metal blank formed of sheet metal stock asit appears before it is placed in the novel apparatus of the presentinvention;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a die press havingcircular symmetry, which apparatus is employed to form the integralfolded flange of the wheel disk;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but shows the die press at thecompletion of its flange forming operation;

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional View of a showing a modified formof apparatus in which a double thickness obliquely extending foldedflange is formed directly in a single operation; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the various elements ofthe press and the metal stock as it appears after the forming operationin this press.

'In the various figures of the drawings, I have illustrated apparatuswhich is employed in the forming of an integral folded fastening flangein a wheel disk structure which provides the wheel disk with a doublethickness of metal where it is the body part of the wheel, when theouter-pe- L'Il central dome-shaped portion I I and an outer ring portionI2. At the junction of the central crown portion II with the outer ringportionIZ, an integral depending folded fastening flange I3 is providedwhich extends axially rearwardly and radially outwardly. The foldedflange I3 is arranged to be engaged by resilient wheel .disk fasteningelements (not shown) carried .on the wheel.

While the central crown portion I I of the wheel disk Ill has beenillustrated as a simple convex surface, and while the outer ring portionI2 has been illustrated as having a convex crosssectional configuration,it will, of course, be understood by those skilled in the art, that anysuitable configuration may be given these portions .of the wheel diskwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of thedrawings which illustrates apparatus for forming an integral axiallyextending folded or double thickness flange. Prior to inserting themetal stock in the apparatus shown in Figure 4, the metal stock isprovided with the shape as shown in Figure 3 in any suitable manner suchas by means of a die press. This metal blank l4 has a centraldome-shaped portion I5 and an outer ring portion I6 which is joined tothe dome-shaped portion I5 by an upstanding axially extending wallportion l1. It will be observed that the ring portion I5 extends awayfrom the upstanding wall portion I? at a slightly acute angle thereto.

Turning now to Figures 4 and 5, I have illus- I trated therein oneembodiment of the present invention wherein a die press of novel designis provided for, forming the integral folded flange in the metal blankI4 which is shown in Figure 3. For purposes of simplicity, only aportion of the .die press has been illustrated, ,but it is to beunderstood that this die press has circular symmetry, therefore theillustration is suflicient to completely illustrate its novel design andconstruction. Moreparticularly, the die press which is illustrated inFigures 4 and 5 includes .a lower die block I8 having an upstandingsolid die ring I9 defining an interior opening 25 above the base of thedie block. Inside the opening is a reciprocal die pad 2I normally urgedupwardly by a plurality of springs 22 or the equivalent disposed andcarriedin recesses 23 on the base of the die block, and bearing againstthe underside of the die pad 2|. The outward movement of the die pad 2|is limited in any suitable manner (not shown). As seen in Figure 4,. thedie pad 2| is in its uppermost position.

The die press illustrated in-Figure 4 also includes an upperdie member24 which is provided hold-down ring 21 which is normally urgeddownwardly by a plurality of springs 28 or their equivalent, each ofwhich is seated in a confronting recess in the die 24 and the hold-downring 21 respectively, as at 29 and 30. The downward movement of thehold-down ring 21 with respect to the central die pad 25 is limited by aplurality of pins 3|, each firmly fixed in the stationary ring 26, andan end of which extends into a suitable recess 32 in the hold-down ring21. As the holddown ring 21 is seen in Figure 4, it is in its lowermostposition with respect to the central die part 25.

The upper surface 33 of the die ring I9 of the lower die member I8 isshaped to have the ring portion I6 of the metal article or blankintimately seated thereon, and the opposing face 34 of the hold-downring 21 is shaped complemental to the surface 33 so as to intimatelyengage the upper portion of the ring portion I6. A cut out recess isprovided on the upper inner side of the die ring I9, as at 35. The sidewall 35 of the cut out portion of the die ring I9 in conjunction withthe side wall of the die pad ZI provides a confined forming space 36 inwhich the folded flange of the wheel diskwill be formed.

From inspection of Figure 4, it will be observed that the portion of thedie ring I9 which lies immediately below the cylindrical portion I1 iscut away in such a manner that upon application of an axial pressure tothe upper die member 24, the metal in the article forming thecylindrical portion I1 will be forced or pushed downwardly into theconfined forming space 36. More specifically, as the downward force isapplied to the central crown portion I5 of the blank I4, the metalforming the cylindrical portion I1 is progressively rolled and unrolleddown into the forming space 36 until the crown portion I5 has reached aposition as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. As is clearly shown inFigure 5 the metal which in Figure 4 formed the cylindrical wall portionI1 has now been folded downwardly into the forming space 35 into anintegral depending folded flange 31. As will at once be observed from aninspection of Figure 5, the folded flange 31 provides a double thicknessof metal at this point.

At the completion of the pressing operation, as shown in Figure 5, theupper die member 24 is raised and the resulting metal article lying onthe die pad 21 and the lower die ring I9 is removed .from the press.This article is now taken and by any suitable rolling, spinning orpressing operation the depending folded flange 31 is bent obliquelyradially outwardly until it has assumed the shape illustrated in Figure2 and identified by the reference character .I 3. The wheel disk is nowcompleted and it includes a central crown-shaped portion II, an outerring portion I2, and a depending integrally folded fastening flange I3.It is, of course, to be understood that the axially extending foldedflange 31 may be bent obliquely inwardly instead of outwardly ifdesired.

In Figures 6 and 7, I have illustrated a modified .form of the presentinvention wherein the apparatus is arranged to form the integral foldedflange directly into an obliquely inwardly extending flange thuseliminating the need for a subsequent rolling or forming step as isrequired in conjunction with the apparatus illustrated in Figures 4 and5 when the flange is to extend in an oblique direction to the axis ofthe disk.

Referring first to Figure 6, the die press which is fragmentarilyillustrated therein includes a lower die block 38 having an upstandingcentral die portion 39. The upstanding central die portion 39 includes aflat central portion 40 which does not engage the metal blank I 4 and anannular die surface 4| which is shaped to have the ring portion l6intimately seated thereon. The die surface 4 I, however, continuesdownwardly as at 42, at an oblique angle, and then upwardly as at 43, ata second oblique angle, as is clearly shown in the drawings. Theobliquely inclined surfaces 42 and 43 form an annular groove or formingspace in which the integral depending flange will be formed in themanner presently to, be described.

The die press illustrated in Figure 6 also includes an upper die member45 which is provided with a central depending die portion 46complemental in character to the dome-shaped configuration of the metalarticle l4. Spaced from the central die part 46 is a depending fixedring 41, and in the space between the fixed ring 41 and die part 46 is areciprocal hold-down ring 48, which is normally urged downwardly by aplurality of springs 49 or the equivalent, each of which is seated inconfronting recesses 50 and in the die member 45 and the hold-down ring48 respectively. The downward movement of the hold-down ring 48 islimited by a plurality of pins 52 each firmly fixed in the stationaryring 41 and having an end portion 53 which extends into a suitablerecess 54 in the hold-down ring 48. As the hold-down ring 48 is seen inFigure 6, it is in its lowermost or outer position with the innerhorizontal edge of each respective slot 54 abutting a pin 52.

The inner lower corner of the hold-down ring 48 is preferably roundedoff, as at 55, and the outer lower corner of the depending central dieportion 46 is also preferably rounded off, as at 55.

As the upper die member 45 is moved downwardly under pressure, the metalin the metal part or blank l4 at the junction point of the ring portion[6 and the central dome-shaped portion I5 is rolled or forced downwardlyalong the inclined surface 42 of the forming space 44.

apart if desired.

The metal article or blank I4, which is now in the form of a wheel disk,may now be removed from the die press after its flange formingoperation, and any final finishing or polishing steps may thereafter beperformed upon it to place it in its final condition for use on avehicle wheel. Due to the fact that there is'a double thickness of metalin the fastening flange 5'! of the wheel disk, the wheel disk at thispoint is capable of withstanding greater forces without permanentdisforming than it is throughout the the portions of the wheel overwhich the double thickness flange is snapped are relatively stiff, it isclear that an increase in strength of the wheel disk in its fasteningflange portion is not only desirable but necessary to prevent anyundesirable disforming of the wheel disk at this point when relativelythin sheet metal stock has been employed in making the disk.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will, ofcourse, be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, sincemany modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by theappended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for shaping a disk-like part having crown and ringportions and a wall portion connecting said crown and ring portions,cooperative die. parts including a member for engaging the crown portionof said part, an annular member concentric with said crown engagingmember and mounted for relative axial movement with respect thereto forengagement with the ring portion of said part, said annular memberhaving a sloping wall corresponding in shape to the wall portion of saidpart and arranged to initially contact thesame, said base member havinga relatively narrow inclined annular recess with its outermost extremityaligned with and arranged to receive a lower extremity of said wallportion, said crown engaging member being movable toward said basemember whereby the ma terial of said wall portion is progressivelycurled and radially deflected inwardly into a double thickness slantingskirt between said crown and ring portions, said inclined recessslanting downwardly and inwardly under said crown engaging memberdirectly under the crown portion of the part engaged thereby so as todeflect the wall portion downwardly and inwardly and underneath saidcrown portion whereby the ensuing skirt is turned back under said crownportion.

2. In an apparatus as defined in claim 1 further characterized by theinclined recess being defined at its lower end by a relatively narrowshoulder and in the direction of its length by a relatively longdownwardly and radially inclined surface terminating at said shoulder.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

